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Dear Skyline Village Chicago,
The Skyline Village Chicago Women’s Salon has been meeting since Martha Holstein published her book, Women in Late Life, over a decade ago. In it, she explored how contemporary old age, particularly for women, is fraught with contradiction and complexity―women portrayed either as incompetent and cuddly grandmothers or as young women trapped in old bodies, images that rarely reflect how women actually see themselves.
Women in Late Life explores the thorny issues related to gender and aging, including prevailing but problematic cultural expectations, body image, ageism, the experience of chronic illness, threats to Social Security and a secure retirement while challenging a long-term care system that disadvantages women.
Over the years we have explored all of these issues including the meaning of friendship, the complex feelings we have about ‘invisibility’, how it sometimes works in our favor, what it means to be a solo aging woman, and what it means to lose people who have played meaningful roles in our lives.
We laugh a lot about some of the foibles, but we always learn something or gain insight into our own fears or concerns. Over wine, soft drinks, coffee, cheese & crackers, sweet snacks and fruit, the conversation flows, the second Tuesday of each month, in one of our living rooms, welcoming all who want to engage in the conversation.
Respectfully,
Your Skyline Village Chicago Board
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